Machine-knit fabric



June 2o, 1939. D. H, CAVANAUGH 2,162,837'

MACHINE-KNIT FABRIC Original F'iled July 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l ifm", fit?,

lhwento'r 1702"6 Il Havana/Q97@ @M7 MMI/ZM Gttomegs June 20, 1939. D. H. cAvANAUGH MACHINE-KNIT FABRIC Original Filed July 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inra. Y Y I... r( ili... I

nventor Hfavanautgw, zygmfwadu f Gttorncns Patented June 20, 1939 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE-KNIT FABRIC Doris` H. Cavanaugh, Newton, Mass.

Application'July 16, 1936, Serial No. 90,876

Renewed November 12, 1938 3 claims. (ores-202) Fig. 1 shows a swatch of machine-knit fabric in accordance withone form of the invention; and f Fig. 2 is a similar view of another embodiment.

Referring more particularly to the-drawings, the fabric of my invention is made entirely or basically by knitting a flexible fabricated or textile strip such as a tape, ribbon or the like, for example as ordinarily comprehended under the term narrow-Wear or narrow-fabric. This narrow, elongated knitting element or component is` used instead of the usual yarn, thread, string or strand of generally circular cross-section, and is designated in its entirety by the numeral 3 in both figures of the drawings. A projecting unknitted, 'or unraveled and attened, length or tail of this knitting elementor ribbon is seen in the drawings at 3a.

In the illustrated examples this strip or knitting element 3 is approximately 5%,2" wide in its flat or unknitted state, and in the instance shown consists of a narrow-fabric made of rayon yarn or thread. One narrow-fabric which as a result of extensive experiment I have found particularly suited for the purpose is that known in the tradel ing a machine-knitted fabric particularly adapted v for apparel, and especially womens so-called hand-fashioned suits, dresses and other articles of outer wear.

While I have here referred to a specific example of narrow-fabric, namely, candy-ribbon, it will be understood that my invention contemplates the use of any manufactured or fabricated narrow strip of suicient strength and flexibility and otherwise adapted to be knitted to produce a fabric suitable for the formation of articles of womens apparel. Another material that may be used as the knitting element is that known as ribbonzene, which I have found less desirable, however, than candy-ribbon. The strip or striplike knitting element may itself be composed of any suitable fibrous, cellulosic or other material,

natural or artificial, including cotton, silk, rayon,

fibrous or textile glass, wool and various other stuffs, and admixtures thereof, allV of .which are to be contrasted, for example, with such a material as a copper or other metal band such as has been used for making scouring devices, and '5L which is wholly unsuited to the purposes of my present invention. It will be understood, however, that tinsel or other metallic filaments may be incorporated in the particular knitting component.

` The knitted fabric of the invention, as con- 10i trastedwith its knitting component, may be produced on most if not al1 the existing or preferred types of commercial knitting machines, including especially the so-called hand-loom knitting machines, the various flat-bed machines, circular l'f machines and warp knitting machines, properly modified and adjusted, particularly as to the feed mechanism and the needle arrangement. The illustrated fabric examples were knitted on machines employing latch needles, asv to which, how- 20 ever, I am not restricted.

By further reference to the drawings it will be noted that in the examples there shown the knitting strip or narrow-fabric element 3 has been so controlled in the knitting operation that in its 25 interlooped and knitted condition,` in the fabric it is longitudinally folded at many points, as foi` example at 3b, While at other or adjacent points, such as 3, or frequently at the same location, as at 3d, it is longitudinally turned or twisted. This 30 manipulation 0f the knitting component in the knitting process tends to increase its own inherent strength and also that of the resulting fabric and is effected by supplying the component to the knitting needles under a determined tension in- 35 termediate a maximum or taut condition andav minimum or substantially free condition. f

It will further be noted that the knitting of the narrow-fabric element or ribbon gives to at least one face of the resulting fabric a raised, 4'@ overlaid or incrusted appearance or effect markedly differing from that of any knitted fabric made of ordinary, round yarns of which I am aware. This novel appearance or face design of the fabric as a whole is incidental to and re-l 45 sultant from the use of the strip-like knitting component as above described and is indifferent of the particular stitch pattern or knitting formation selected in any instance. Any desired arrangement, pattern and formation of knitting 50 loops, stitches and floats may be employed in the various knitting courses and wales, the particular knitting formations as shown in the drawings being merely illustrative, since in its broader aspect the invention resides in the machineknit- 55 ting of a fabricated, textile or other flexible and basically non-metallic strip, tape or ribbon, that is, an element having a distinct and substantially uniform width as contrasted with thickness.

The knitted fabric of the invention is particularly designed and has special utility for womens wear, particularly Womens outer apparel, the novel and attractive appearance of the fabric being incidental to its mechanical and structural advantages for the purpose stated. Among these are the increased strength and wear-resisting properties of the fabric as contrasted with such womens knitted garment fabrics as jersey and those knitted of boucl yarn. An important advantage of the fabric lies in its capacity to respond to ironing or pressing which enables a garment such as a Womans dress formed of my fabric to be freshened and restored, after use, substantially to its original appearance, by subjecting it to the ordinary domestic or other ironing operation, to which in general boucl knits are not satisfactorily responsive. The fabric of my present invention additionally has the important advantage of being iiexible and conformable to a high degree so that a dress or like garment made of it adjusts itself to the wearers figure in a general and comfortable manner, but at the same time, due to the character of the knitting component, it avoids the tendency to cling and stick in the objectionable manner of many of the knitted apparel fabrics, such as a majority of the boucl knits referred to. And further in this respect my fabric when made into a garment retains its original shape and condition, against stretching, sagging or pocketing, particularly at the rear or seat portion, to an importantly greater extent and for a longer time than previous fabrics such as those referred to used for womens wear.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiments thereof illustrated and described herein by way of example, and I set forth its scope in my following claims.

I claim:

1. A knitted textile fabric for outer apparel, said fabric composed basically of a woven natural or artificial silk or wool ribbon of the narrowfabric type used as a thread or yarn in knitting the fabric, said fabric in general and throughout all main portions having a loose semiporous structure wherein the knitting formations of the ribbon are sufficiently close to obscure View through the fabric and conform it to the dictates of modesty, and said fabric also being of a highly iiexible, limp, light-weight and soft character as contrasted with a stiff, heavy fabric having capacity for restraining and supporting the wearers body or for use in forming scrubbing devices and other utilitarian articles, said ribbon being so knitted by a deliberate longitudinal folding or twisting of the initially flat ribbon throughout the knitting loops as to conne the overall thickness of the resulting fabric to less than the width of the ribbon, said fabric having as to said main portions an other-than-plain, decorative stitch structure, as contrasted for example with plain link-to-link and stockinette stitch formations,

and such as to present upon at least one face exposed lengths of the ribbon extending laterally between lines of knitting loops and displaying areas of the ribbon of at least one-half the width of the ribbon in its at condition, thereby anording to said face of the fabric the appearance of being encrusted or overlaid with said exposed ribbon lengths, and the ribbon component of the knitting formations in any unfolded or nontwisted portions thereof throughout the fabric having a relatively flat position relative to the fabric as contrasted with an on-edge positioning.

2. A knitted textile fabric for outer apparel, said fabric composed basically of a woven ribbon of the narrow-fabric type used as a thread or yarn in knitting the fabric, said fabric in general and throughout all main portions having a loose semiporous structure wherein the knitting formations of the ribbon are suiiciently close to obscure view through the fabric and conform it to the dictates of modesty, and said fabric also being of ahighly flexible, limp, light-Weight and soft character as contrasted with a stiff, heavy fabric having capacity for restraining and supporting the wearers body or for use in forming scrubbing devices and other utilitarian articles, said ribbon being so knitted by a deliberate longitudinal folding or twisting of the initially at ribbon throughout the knitting loops as to confine the overall thickness of the resulting fabric to less than the width of the ribbon, said fabric having as to said main portions an other-than-plain, decorative stitch structure, as contrasted for example with plain link-and-link and stockinette stitch formations, and such as to present upon at least one face exposed lengths of the ribbon extending laterally between lines of knitting loops and displaying areas of the ribbon of at least one-half the width of the ribbon in its flat condition, thereby affording to said face of the fabric the appearance of being encrusted or overlaid with said exposed ribbon lengths, and the ribbon component of the knitting formations in any unfolded or non-twisted portions thereof throughout the fabric having a relatively fiat position relative to the fabric as contrasted with an onedge positioning.

3. A knitted textile fabric for outer apparel, said fabric composed basically of a Woven ribbon of the narrow-fabric type used as a thread or yarn in knitting the fabric, said fabric in general and throughout all main portions having a loose semiporous structure wherein the knitting formations of the ribbon are sufficiently close to obscure View through the fabric and conform it to the dictates of modesty, and said fabric also being of a highly flexible, limp, light-weight and soft character, said ribbon being so knitted as to confine the overall thickness of the resulting fabric to approximately the width of the ribbon, said fabric having as to saidmain portions a stitch structure such as to present upon at least one face exposed lengths of the ribbon extending laterally between lines of knitting loops and displaying areas of the ribbon of about one-half the width of the ribbon in its flat condition.

DORIS H. CAVANAUGH. 

